CVE-2023-0413 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
Dissection engine bug in Wireshark 4.0.0 to 4.0.2 and 3.6.0 to 3.6.10 and allows denial of service via packet injection or crafted capture file
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0413 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the dissection engine of Wireshark network protocol analyzer. This vulnerability affects multiple versions including Wireshark 4.0.0 through 4.0.2 and 3.6.0 through 3.6.10, exposing users to potential system instability and service disruption. The dissection engine serves as the core component responsible for interpreting and analyzing network traffic captured in various formats, making this flaw particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through multiple attack vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of specific packet structures during protocol dissection processes. When Wireshark encounters malformed or specially crafted packets within capture files or during live network monitoring, the dissection engine fails to properly validate input data before processing. This leads to memory corruption or infinite loop conditions that cause the application to crash or become unresponsive. The flaw specifically manifests when processing certain combinations of protocol headers and payload data that exceed expected parameter boundaries or violate internal state assumptions within the dissection routines.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0413 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially compromise network monitoring operations and security analysis workflows. Network security professionals relying on Wireshark for intrusion detection, forensic analysis, or network troubleshooting may find their tools become unavailable when processing maliciously crafted traffic. This vulnerability can be exploited through two primary vectors: injection of malformed packets into live network captures or by opening specially crafted capture files that contain the vulnerable packet structures. The denial of service condition affects both interactive analysis sessions and automated processing pipelines that depend on Wireshark's dissection capabilities.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-125 categories related to buffer overflow conditions and heap-based buffer overflows, representing classic memory safety issues that have plagued network analysis tools for years. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004 for network denial of service and potentially T1566.001 for spearphishing with a malicious attachment when considering the file-based exploitation vector. Organizations using Wireshark for security operations should be particularly concerned as this vulnerability can be leveraged by adversaries to disrupt network monitoring capabilities, potentially masking malicious activities or preventing security teams from conducting proper incident response procedures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-0413 focus primarily on immediate software updates to patched versions of Wireshark where the vulnerability has been resolved. System administrators should prioritize updating to Wireshark versions 4.0.3 or 3.6.11 which contain the necessary code modifications to properly validate packet structures before dissection. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit exposure to potentially malicious traffic, deploying network monitoring tools that can detect and block suspicious packet patterns, and establishing secure file handling procedures for capture files from untrusted sources. Organizations should also consider implementing network access controls to prevent unauthorized injection of malformed packets into monitoring environments while maintaining proper audit logging to detect potential exploitation attempts.